Quill Basket Sham

71978

SHOW DETAILS

The Micmac (Mi'kmaq), a First Nations people of New England and eastern Canada, tell of a long-ago star that fell from the sky into the Atlantic Ocean and crawled to shore. The People called it "gog-wit" which means "eight-legged star fish." The image appeared on petroglyphs in Nova Scotia 500 years ago. It later became the defining motif on Micmac quilled birch basketsand the inspiration for this blanket's central element. Porcupine quills are one of the oldest forms of embellishment found on hides and baskets. The Micmac artisans were so skilled at quillwork, the French called them "Porcupine Indians." Their quill-decorated baskets set the standard for the craft, which flourished for centuries among Eastern, Great Lakes and Plains tribes. Later embroidery traditions using glass beads, which replaced quills in the mid-1800s, were built upon Micmac techniques and designs. The intricate pattern and subtle colors are a tribute to the ancient art of quilled basketry. Woven in our American mills.